I'm going to introduce the Streets over a series of posts. Most of you know us, but I figured what the heck ... I love talking about my family and everyone should love hearing about them, right? Right? (crickets ...)
First up is Ana. Yes, she is a pit bull. No, she will not sneak into your family's home and maul your children. She's not a monster and, in fact, is probably the most well behaved of all the Streets.
There are two reasons why Ana is first: 1) she broke her pinky toe (notice swelling on right paw in picture) this week; and 2) she is the most misunderstood of all the Streets. We don't know how she broke her toe, but I can tell you why she is misunderstood.
Back in the day, I held the belief that genetics can make a person or an animal into a monster. Too bad if you got f'd up genes, you're screwed. Pit bull? Euthanize it. Alcoholics in the family? Start going to AA now. I think this belief came from growing up with horses. When you get around horse people (who are absolutely bonkers a majority of the time) ideas come out of their mouths like so much diarrhea.
One of these ideas is breedism. Arabians are koo-koo; thoroughbreds are dumb; ponies hate all people. And no one ever questions this. Find an exception to the rule? Oh, that's an anomally. But the more you dissect the truth, you realize that a majority of crazy Arabians and thoroughbreds became that way because they were trained that way.
Let me stop you right there. Yes, breeding plays a role in all of this. Arabians and thoroughbreds are bred to be more "flighty" than say a Tennessee Walker or a quarter horse. But, you can manage their temperment.
Alright, back to the story: Street Hubby (before we were married) wanted a pit bull. I swear, I nearly stopped dating him over the arguments that ensued. To me, a pit bull was a headline waiting to happen. Now, at the time, Cesar Milan's show (Dog Whisperer) was gaining popularity. The more I watched, the more I realized that training was nearly as important as genetics. He would take fighting pit bulls and, through training, make them sociably acceptable. Just think what you could do with the right training from day one ...
OK, I also want to take this time to say a few things about the pit bull breed. Yes, they were bred to fight other dogs. Dog aggression is a part of the breed (just like rat aggression is a part of a rat terrier's genetics). However, handlers had to be able to grab the dog out of a fight without getting his arm gnawed off ... so, human aggression is a trait that was bred out of the dog. Dogs who attack humans whether its a chihuahua or a pit bull should be euthanized or put in an extensive training program.
Pit bulls are dangerous just like draft horses are dangerous. They are powerful, and when not properly trained or exercised, they can turn a situation on its head (think: carriage horse running through the streets of Charleston and maiming people).
Also, lets look at my own genetics. Alcoholism runs on both sides of my family, but I'm not an alcoholic. I was raised to be better than that. Though I'm sure it would be an easy habit to form, I have been properly "trained."
Back to Ana. She is certified through the AKC as a Canine Good Citizen. This means she has underwent tests proving she is safe with adults and children, crowds and more. The hardest part of us taking that test? She was too friendly with the judge and almost got us failed because she wanted to jump up and kiss her (oooooo .... scary). This test is not just for pit bulls; in fact, several breeds were present during the test and the only one to fail was a lab. The three pit bulls? Passed with flying colors.
Don't get me wrong, Ana does have dog aggression issues. But through proper training and good exercise, it is manageable. We've had only one dog fight with her, and it was provoked by the other dog (yes, another pit bull ... but it was over a tennis ball).
Let me end this by saying, pit bulls are a lot of work. I put a lot of time and money into training Ana. But you know what? All dogs are a lot of work. If people treated their labs or retrievers like how I treat Ana, those dogs wouldn't be "ball crazy" or bite family members (trust me, I've seen the stats, labs and other "family dog" breeds bite more children than pit bulls ... though, I'll admit that the damage is not as severe). Don't get a dog unless you can spend time and money on making it an example for its breed (or lack there of).
I like to think of Ana as a pit bull breed ambassador. We look forward to getting our therapy liscense soon. She will be working with sick children (she is so gentle and loving with them!). We have our problems, sure, but like responsible owners we have brought out the best in her. And her best is the sweetest, most loyal and gentle dog.
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